Torqtng measuring wbench



Jan. 1l, 1938. J. H. SHARP y Tonarm Mmsuamc; WRENCH Original Filed May 18, 1931 Reiscued Jan. 1l, 1938 Re. 20,620l

' Tomos riassume warnen Joann. succhiano, ni.,unmiaui motive Maintemnc'e Machinery Co., NorthChicago, lll., a corporation cl Illinois Original No. 2,007,880. dated July 9, 1985, Serial N0. l538,292, May Il, 1931.

Application for reissue December 14, i938, Serial No. 115,889

6 Claims. (Cl. 285-1) This invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to one for indicating the amount oi' force or torque applied in tightening or loosening a nut.

'I'he principal object of my invention, generally considered, is the provision of a wrench adapted to indicate the 'amount of torque used in tightening or removing nuts, and provided with a pointer which moves when associated spring means are `stressed to show on a scale the amount oi' torque applied.

Another object of my invention is to provide a wrench adapted for use as means for applying different nuts for comparative test under identical loads, as means for measuringl the amount of labor required to apply or remove different types oi nuts, or as a means for measuring the locking emciency of nuts on several applications and removals.

A further object of my invention is to provide a wrench adapted to be used with nuts as a means of measuring loss oi locking eillciency of such nuts on account of removal and reapplication, as

a means of determining the eil'ect of different types of lock nuts on bolt threads at the same load, or as a means of determining the holding power of diilerent types of lock nuts at varying loads.

` Other objects Aand `advantages oi the invention .relating to the particular arrangement and construction of the various parts will become apparent as the description proceeds. Referring to the drawing illustrating mv invention, the scope whereof is defined by the appended clsims:-

Figure l is a side elevation of one embodiment or my wrench, a portion being shown inv section.

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional lview on the line 2-2 o! Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.'

In determining the eiilciency oigrip or locking nuts, it is desirable to know not only that such nuts are difficult to remove after application, but

,also the amount of torque or number of inchpounds necessarily used to apply or remove such nuts. I have, therefore, devised a wrench which directly indicates the' number of inch-pounds employed in tightening and removing nuts.

Referring to the drawing in detail, like parts being designated by like reference characters, I

have shown one form of my wrench or turque indicating device l involving a handle and housing portion 2 and a wrencht or pivotally mounted shank and jaw portion l, the free end ot the shank portion being formed with a jaw 4 adapted to engage a nut (not shown) Although the jaw 4 is shown as rigid. and non-adjustable, it will be understood that, iiydesired, I may provide an adjustable jaw portion such as is used on monkeywrenches.

The portion 2 involves a handle l adapted to be manually grasped in operating the wrench, and a housing portion 8. The shank and jaw portion I of my wrench is desirably connected to the housing portion 8 by means of a pivot pin 1 secured to said housing'portion t in any desiredI manner. as by being threadably connected thereto, as indicated at I. 'Ihe shank portion 3 has extended laterally therefrom on opposite sides ot the pivot pin l preferably integral arms 9, said arms being desirably curved so as to be normally 'enclosed by the housing 6, and with their free ends engaging followers or spring caps Ill engazing or connected to the adjacent ends of pref.

erably helical springs Il mounted and guided in the housing 6; and held under a desired degree of compression against the arms 9 by means of adjusting plugs I2 threadably mounted in the housing l.

Means are provided for indicating the'amount i' force or torque applied to the handle 5 of the wrench in tightening or removing an associated nut, said means, in the present embodiment. comprising a pointer Il pivotally mounted on the housing i oi thefshank portion 2, as by means of a pivot pin Il.- Said pointer may be tightened on thepin Il so as to be movable therewith in any desired manner, as by means of a nut I5 engaging the threaded end It of the pin I4 and tightly holding the pointer vI 3 against a shouldered portion Il on said pin. The pin may be heldin place in the housing portion 6 of the wrench by any desired means, such as the plug I B threadably connected to the housing 8 and closing the pin receiving aperture I9 therein. The pointer moves over a scale which may be calibrated to register the force or torque applied to the handle 5 of the wrench in applying or removing a nut from an associated bolt inv terms of inch-pounds or other appropriate units.

As a means for transmitting motion between the jaw or plvoted portion 3 of the wrench and the pointer Il to indicate relative angular movement and corresponding torque, a gear wheel or .idler 2l is desirably pivotally mounted in the housing B and disposed between a pinion 22 nonrotatably mounted on the pin I 4, as by being keyed or connected thereto in any desired manner. The pivot pin 2! upon which. the gear wheel or idler 2i is mounted may be held in position in any desired manner, as by means of an enlarged end portion threaded into the housing 6, vas shown most clearly in Figure 2. 'Ihat part of the shank portion 3 adjacent the idler 2 I and between the arms I, is formed with gear teeth 25 meshing with the idler gear teeth, as shown most clearly in Figure v1, so that upon relative angular movement of the shank portion 2 of the wrench upon applying force to the handle E thereof. said gear teeth 25 on the jaw portion I transmit correi pinion zz and through me pin' u to the pointer I 3 to indicate the torque on the associated scale From the vforegoing disclosure, it will be seenv that I have devised a torque indicating wrench which is useful for all kinds of force measurements on nuts, being especially designed for grip or locking nuts.l By providing'the spring adjusting plugs l2, not only may the associated springs II be conveniently vapplied and removed for replacement, when necessary, but'the desired initial tension may be applied thereto for ,not only setting the pointer at zero position, when the shank is in neutral position generally aligned with the handle, but also for adjusting the mechanism for the most eiiicient operating position and degree of spring compression. 4 Although a preferred embodiment of my invention has been illustrated, it will be understood that modicatlons may be made within the spirit and scope of the appended claims without departing from my invention. e.

I claim:

1. A torque indicating deviceV comprising a housing portion with a manually operable handle extending therefrom, a wrench portion with a :law adapted to engage a nut and a shank extending therefrom and with its end portion received in and pivoted to said housing, arms extending laterally from the pivoted portion of said shank, springs disposed in said housing and acting in the same general direction on opposite ends of said arms,` so as to normally hold the shank in neutral position, generally aligned with the handle, movable means engaging the ends of said springs away from said arms for adjusting the spring pressure, ,a dial on one face of said housing, a pointer pivotally mounted on said housing and movable over said diaLand means for transmitting motion from said shank to said pointer, upon movement of said housing and handle `portion with respect to the wrench portion, for indicating the amount of torque applied to said device.

2. A torque indicating device comprising a housing portion with almanually operable handle extending therefrom, a wrench portion with a jaw adapted to engage a nut and a shank extending therefrom and with its end portion received in and pivoted to said housing, coil springs guided in said housing and acting on said arms on opposite sides of the pivoted portion of said shank, to normally resiliently hold the parts in neutral relative positions, plugs threaded in the housing and engaging the ends of said springs away from said arms for adjusting the spring pressure, a dial on one face of said housing, a pointer pivotally mounted on said housing and movable over said dial, and gearing means for transmitting motion from said shank to said pointer, upon movement of said housing and handle portion with therefrom and with its end portion received in and pivoted to said housing,` arms extending laterally from the pivoted portion of said shank, springs disposed in said housing and acting, substantially parallel to the handle on said arms on opposite sides oi' the pivoted portion, to normally resiliently hold the parts in neutral relative positions, means for adjusting the spring pressure, a dial, a pointer movable over said dial, and means for` transmitting motion from said shank to said. pointer, upon movement of said housing and handle portion with respect to the wrenchportion, for indicating the amount of torque applied through said device to a nut.

4. A' torque indicating wrench comprising a housing portion with a manually operable handle extending therefrom, a wrench member pivotally supported by said housing portion and having provision for engaging a nut, said wrench member having arms extending laterally from the pivoted portion` thereof, said housing portion including a hollow part, a spring disposed in said hollow part and acting on the end portion of one of said arms, means against which the other of said arms abuts for holding said wrench member in a neutral po` sition with said arms disposed at substantially right angles to said handle and with said one arm operatively engaged with said spring, and

means for indicating the amount of torque applied through the device to a nut, which includesf a dial, a pointer and means by which movement of said wrench member, arms and spring is transmitted to said pointer upon movement oi said Y wrench member relativeto said housing and handle portions. y

5. A torque indicating wrench comprising a part having a, manually-operable handle extending therefrom, another part pivotally supported by said first part and having provision for engaging `a nut, or the like, one of said parts having a spring said spring, an adjustable support for the other end of said spring associated with said chamber, whereby eiective initial tension of said spring may be varied, and means for indicating the amount of torque applied through the wrench to a nut, or the like, which includes a dial, a pointer and means by which pivotal motion between said two parts is transmitted to said pointer.

6. A torque indicating device comprising a housing. portion with'a manually operable handle extending therefrom, a wrench member pivotally supported by said housing and having provision for engaging a nut, or the like, said wrench mem. ber also having an arm extending laterally from the pivoted portion thereof, said housing portion including a tubular part located adjacent the outer end of said arm, a spring mounted in said tubular part, a follower member slidablyguided in said tubular part and so constructedgand arranged that it is engaged by the outer end portion of said arm and it abuts the adjacent end of said spring whereby said spring may be compressed through force applied by said arm without distorting the axial compression movement -of said spring, means normally opposing pivotal movement of said wrench member and its arm in a direction away from said follower, and means operable upon relative pivotal movement of said housing and wrench member for indicating the amount of torque applied through the wrench to the nut, or the like.

JOHN H. SHARP. 

